coquette

noun

co·​quette kō-ˈket 

plural coquettes

1

: a woman who endeavors without sincere affection to gain the attention and admiration of men

… the book brought to mind a true Southern coquette, flashy and sweet and alluring all at the same time.

—Tina Jordan

2

: any of several small, tropical American hummingbirds (genus Lophornis) with the males typically having a colorful or ornate tuft of feathers on the head

… the rufous-crested coquette, a tiny hummingbird (with a red mohawk "hair-do") that was just as … flirty as its name.

—Thelma Dalmas

But the tiniest of these hummers was the one that elicited the most excitement: a festive coquette, an extremely rare green-crested bird with a white rump patch, only 3 inches long.

—James F. McCarty

coquettish

kō-ˈke-tish 

adjective

coquettishly adverb

coquettishness noun

Examples of coquette in a Sentence

She was a bit of a coquette.

Recent Examples on the Web

Venus is the planet of love and beauty, and as of Dec. 7, the cosmic coquette is cruising through the eccentric and rebellious sign of Aquarius, glimmering and brilliant like a dazzling supernova. —Valerie Mesa, People.com, 8 Dec. 2024

Ruffle Mini Dress This flouncy dress samples the trendy coquette aesthetic with its sweetheart neckline, sheer sleeves, ruffly details, and all-over floral. —Miles Walls, People.com, 26 Oct. 2024

Brie Larson Getty Images The coquette look is still alive and well atop Brie Larson's head. —Marci Robin, Allure, 15 Sep. 2024

Delicate bows add a coquette detail to the backs of this pair, which covers the ankles (and keep them from catching a draft). —Malia Griggs, Glamour, 12 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

French, feminine of coquet — see coquet entry 1

First Known Use

circa 1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

coquette

noun

co·​quette kō-ˈket 

: a woman who tries without sincere affection to gain the attention and admiration of men : flirt

coquettish

-ˈket-ish 

adjective

coquettishly adverb

coquettishness noun